


I Promise

by stellarmeadow



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010)
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-09
Updated: 2014-07-09
Packaged: 2018-02-08 02:10:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1922793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stellarmeadow/pseuds/stellarmeadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Grace asks Steve for birthday promises.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Promise

**Author's Note:**

> I needed some fluff for a small break between long, angsty stories. Believe me, this is all fluff, take an insulin shot before you read it, etc. I just really wanted some Steve and Gracie. :) 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

The scene kept playing itself over and over in his head, like a video loop Steve couldn't turn off. He heard the shot, saw Danny fall, felt the blood spilling out of Danny's side as Steve tried to stop it. 

A small hand slid into Steve's, effectively putting the video loop in his head into the background as Steve looked down at Grace. Rachel had gone to get Grace something to eat, because she'd refused to leave until Danny woke up. Grace had been silently by Steve's side next to the bed for the last couple of hours since Danny had come out of surgery.

"He's going to wake up, uncle Steve, right?"

Those eyes were so trusting as she looked up at him. "Danno's a fighter, Gracie. He'll wake up."

She nodded, looking back at Danny, so still in the hospital bed. Steve searched for a distraction. "Hey," he said, after a moment. "Your thirteenth birthday is tomorrow. That's a big birthday. What do you think you're going to get?"

Grace blinked up at him. "I know what I want you to give me for my birthday."

"What's that?"

"I want you to promise that Danno will always come home."

Shit. How did he answer that? No one could make that promise about anyone, but the last thing he wanted was to upset her any further right now. "Grace...."

"Promise."

"You know my dad was a cop, right?" 

She nodded. "Daddy told me."

"Well, I used to pray for the same thing about my dad, every night, that he'd come home tomorrow," Steve said. "But when I got older, I realized that no one could promise that. About anyone, not just my dad." He left out the part where his mother's death taught him that lesson. "But," he said, before she could get too upset, "I can promise you this. I will do everything in my power to make sure he does get home. As long as I can get him back to you, I will. You have my word."

She looked at him for a long time before she nodded. "Promise?"

"I promise."

"If you're promising my daughter a pony," Danny's sleepy, rough voice said from the bed, "it's staying at your house."

***

Steve's phone buzzed in his pocket, making a weird metallic noise where his hip was pressed against the fender of the Marquis. He put the tools down on the car and wiped his hand on his jeans before pulling the phone out of his pocket.

Grace's face grinned up at him, a selfie she'd taken with his phone a few months before. He couldn't help smiling as he answered the phone. "What's up, Gracie?"

"Hi Uncle Steve! Are you coming to my birthday party tomorrow?"

"Wouldn't miss it, you know that."

"Good." There was a slight pause that left him a little worried, and her next words didn't help. "Uncle Steve...remember last year I asked you for something on my birthday, and you gave me a promise?"

He did. It was the easiest promise he'd ever made, since his focus had more or less always been on making sure Danny got home to Grace. "I do."

"I was thinking, and I decided I want another promise from you for my birthday this year."

"And what would that promise be?" Steve asked.

"Promise me you'll kiss Danno?" 

Steve dropped the phone. He scrambled to pick it up to ask, "What?"

"Promise me that you will kiss Danno. Because the two of you are idiots, and if someone doesn't do something, you'll keep being idiots."

Spoken with all the worldly knowledge a fourteen-year-old thought she had. "Gracie, I, uh...where did you get the idea, um...."

"Uncle _Steve_ ," she said, and Steve wondered if speaking in italics came embedded in the Williams DNA, "do you, or do you not, want to kiss my dad?"

The interrogation gene apparently came embedded in the Williams DNA as well. "Um, Grace, I'm not sure this is a conversation--"

"Agh! Boys!" Grace's exasperated tone was also one hundred percent Danny, and Steve couldn't help smiling at it. "You like him, he likes you. Just kiss already, would you? I'm getting old over here!"

He covered the phone to hide his laughter, because he didn't want her to think he was laughing at her. "Gracie," he said, after he'd managed to calm his laughter, "you..." His brain finally caught up with what she'd said. "You really think Danno likes me?"

"Seriously, if all boys are this stupid, I am never getting married."

Steve muffled his laughter again. "You really want me to kiss Danno for your birthday?" he asked after a moment.

"Well, maybe not at my party, but um...a promise to kiss him? Soon?"

Steve took a deep breath. She had no idea what she was asking him to risk. But it wasn't like he hadn't thought about kissing Danny. Occasionally. Once or twice...an hour. At least. "Okay."

"You'll kiss him?"

"Yes. I'll kiss him."

"Soon?"

Steve felt a little panic rise up inside him at the thought, but he couldn't deny Grace. Or himself, not if this might really work. "Soon."

"This week?"

"Yes, this week." Now he couldn't back out, because he'd promised Grace. 

He recognized her satisfied sigh as Danny's genetics as well. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Though if this worked, he should be thanking her instead. 

"Um...Uncle Steve?"

"Yes?"

"I have another promise to ask."

He braced himself for what might come next, because if she asked for a baby brother or sister he was not going to be held responsible for his response. "What's that?"

"Can you maybe promise not to tell Danno we had this conversation?"

He laughed softly. "I promise."

***

"You sure you don't mind having Grace's birthday party here this weekend?' Danny asked, handing Steve a bowl to take out to the table. 

"Of course I'm sure. You guys are welcome here anytime, for anything, you know that."

He wondered if Danny knew just how welcome he was, that Steve would be perfectly fine with him staying forever, but Danny didn't seem to realize it. 

"Okay. As long as you're sure."

"I am." Steve gave Danny a quick kiss. "So stop asking."

"Yes, sir, Commander sir."

Steve rolled his eyes, but there was a smile on his face as he turned and took the food into the dining room. He was about to go back to the kitchen, until he spotted Grace on the lanai, her face dimly light by the screen of her phone.

Grace jumped as he opened the door, relaxing when she saw him. "Where's Dad?" she asked.

"In the kitchen. Do you want me to go get him?"

"No!" She bit her lower lip. "I mean, no, I, uh...I wanted to talk to you."

Steve pulled up the nearest chair to sit next to her. "What's up?"

"Well, my birthday's in a couple of days...."

He smiled, remembering her birthday request from last year, which had worked out pretty well for him and Danny both. "Sorry, kiddo, but your dad nixed the pony."

She laughed. "You know I never actually asked anyone for a pony, right?"

"I know, that's what makes it so much fun to tease you about it."

She shook her head like he made no sense, but she was amused by it anyway. "I did want to ask you for my birthday promise, though."

"Oh, so it's an automatic thing now, is it?" he said, eyebrow arched, but smiling at her.

She shrugged. "It's kind of our thing, right?"

His heart skipped a little, and he had to swallow before he could say, "Yeah." He cleared his throat. "Yeah, it's our thing."

Her huge smile always reminded him of Danny's. "So I was thinking maybe this year, you could maybe get Danno to, um...let me go out on a date?"

The last bit was so rushed he had to clarify. "Did you say let you go out on a date?"

She nodded emphatically. "There's a dance next month, and Kai asked me, and I really wanna go, but Danno said I couldn't date until I was thirty."

"Did you ask him about the dance?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, because he said I couldn't date until I was thirty."

He managed to keep a straight face as he looked at her. "I don't know, Gracie. Who is this Kai kid?"

She gave him the rundown on Kai's family history, including that he was a cousin of Chin and Kono's. " _Please_ , Steve. He can do a background check, I don't care, but come on. Talk to him."

Steve pretended to hesitate. "Gracie...."

"Come on, I got the two of you together, didn't I? I know a few things about dating."

He couldn't hold back the laugh. "Of course I'll talk to him," he said. "I can't promise you he'll say yes. But I'll do my best."

"You can talk him into it. I heard him tell Kono you were very persuasive."

Steve choked on a laugh. "I'll see what I can do, I promise."

Her smile was worth the stroke the request was probably going to give Danny. "Thank you!" she said, jumping up to give him a hug.

Definitely worth the stroke.

***

Steve had just sat down on the couch when the door slammed open, Danny barreling in like the Tasmanian Devil. He whirled around and saw Steve on the couch. "I...she...I...." Danny threw his hands up in the air and marched upstairs without another word.

Steve looked over at the door to see Grace standing there, looking shaken. She closed the door quietly and walked over to the couch and sat down. 

"What happened?" Steve asked.

"I swerved. Just a little." 

Steve shrugged. "It happens."

"He said I drive worse than you," she said, glancing up at him.

Ouch. "That's just Danno. He's not happy if he's not complaining, you know that."

That got a small smile. "My birthday is next week," she said, meeting Steve's gaze. "Can I ask for my promise early?"

"Sure."

"Can you teach me how to drive? Dad makes me so nervous with all the yelling I can't even keep the car on the road."

"Yeah," Steve said, putting his arm around her and pulling her close. "Yeah, I'll get him to let me teach you."

Her heartfelt, "Thank you!" was worth the epic fight he knew was coming when he had the talk with Danny.

***

Steve was finishing up some paperwork in his office when Grace came in. He gave her a smile, hoping it didn't show how tired he was, or how strained. Eight hours sleep the night before hadn't made up for the forty-eight hours prior to it chasing down a kidnapped girl the same age as Grace, for him or for Danny. 

"Hey, Gracie, aren't you supposed to be in school?"

Her nose wrinkled when he called her Gracie, as it had for the last year or so, but he didn't care. He knew she secretly loved it, even when she protested she was no longer a baby. 

"Early dismissal," she said. 

"Oh. If you're looking for Danno, he's not here."

She sat down on the couch. "I know. I came to talk to you."

He frowned as he realized how serious she looked. "Okay," he said, getting up and going to join her on the couch. "What's up?"

He could tell she was choosing her words carefully before she spoke again. "I wanted to get my birthday wish," she said finally.

"Your birthday isn't until next month."

"I know, but Valentine's Day is next week."

"If this is about you going somewhere overnight on a date, I'm not getting in the middle of it," Steve said quickly, mostly because he'd be the one holding the key while Danny locked her in the rendition room before he let that happen.

She rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not asking for a miracle, Steven," she said, and he laughed at how much like Danny she sounded. She fixed him with a long look. "You love Dad, right?"

"Of course. Why?"

"I want you to promise you'll ask him to marry you."

Steve stared at her. "I, uh...." He blinked, looking for words, but unable to come up with anything other than, "What?"

"I'm going to go away to college next year," Grace said, "and Danno...well, you know how he is. He needs something stable that makes him happy."

"Is this because of that psych class you've been taking this year?"

"Steve! I'm serious!"

He took a deep breath. "I can see that," he said. "But I don't know what brought this on. I'm not going anywhere, married or not. Danny's stuck with me."

" _I_ know that, and _you_ know that," Grace said. "But Dad...."

Steve studied her for a long moment, realizing that she was serious. And concerned. "What brought this on?"

"He just seemed sad at New Years, talking about how things change and people move on, and I know he was thinking about me leaving for school next year, and you know how he is. He just...he needs to know you're there." She held up a hand to stop him before he could protest. "I know, he does know you're there. But he's Danno. He needs...symbolism. Or words. Or, y'know, a ring."

"This has been on your mind since New Years?" Steve asked.

"Yeah, I just...I watched him the last month. He's happy with you. But...he wants what my grandparents have."

Steve took her hand. "Look, Gracie, people's relationships are hard to understand sometimes from the outside--"

"Don't give me that bullshit!"

"Grace Williams!"

She winced. "Sorry, just...." She sighed. "You remember when you were shot just before Thanksgiving?" She waited for Steve to nod before continuing. "There was a nurse--she was new, or she'd have known better--she refused to let Danno back there. Wouldn't even tell him anything. He had no idea if it was a scratch or you were in surgery. He had to call the Governor to get that battleaxe overruled."

This was all news to Steve, though he had wondered why Danny had taken over half an hour to get there. "He never said anything."

"No, I think he thought you might take it as a hint if he did."

"A hint?"

"Seriously, it is beyond me how the two of you would ever have even kissed without me pushing you."

He raised an eyebrow. "Exactly what kind of hint would it be if he told me he couldn't get back to see me at the hospital?"

"Because only family can do that."

"We are family."

"Not legally. If something happened to either of you...."

It hit him what he was saying then. He'd never thought anything of it, because he had the full backing of the governor and could push his way into a hospital anywhere on Oahu if he really wanted to. 

But what if they weren't on Oahu. What if Danny went home for a visit and something happened? Or what if they got another nurse who he couldn't push through right away, and by the time he did it was too late?

"Oh...."

"You see now?" Grace asked. 

Steve nodded slowly. "I just never even thought about it."

"What a surprise."

"Watch it, missy."

She rolled her eyes at him. "You're a lot less threatening when I know you can't even figure out the first thing about an adult relationship without having it pointed out by a teenager."

"I'll be a lot more threatening the next time Jason comes over if I'm cleaning my guns."

"Steve!"

"And the grenade launcher."

"Steven!"

"What's all the yelling about?" Danny asked from the door.

Steve and Grace exchanged wide-eyed glances. "Discussing my birthday," Grace said quickly. 

"Did you decide where you want to have your party?" Danny asked, and to Steve's relief, he showed no signs of knowing the full extent of that conversation. "And no, a night club is not allowed."

"Let's go talk about locations in your office," she said, getting up and heading for the door. "Steve has some work to finish." She stopped to look over her shoulder. "Promise me you'll think about it?"

"I promise," he said, staring after both of them long after they were gone.

***

Steve was putting the icing on Grace's birthday cake when she came into the kitchen. "Chocolate on chocolate?" she asked.

"Would we dare serve you anything else?"

She smiled as she stuck her finger in the icing and licked it off, just giving him an innocent look when he glared at her. The innocent look never failed to work on him; she looked so much like she had when he'd first met her when she wore that expression, it was easy to forget how many years had passed. "Not bad," she said. 

"You never met a chocolate you didn't like."

Her expression clearly said she knew better than to even try to argue that one. "What time are the others coming over?"

Steve checked his watch. "About ninety minutes. Why, can't wait to get out of here with--wait, what's his name?"

"As if you don't know Trevor's name, social security number, home address, parents full background and all about that one speeding ticket he has?"

He'd shook the hand of the cop who gave Trevor the ticket and commended him for keeping the kid from putting anyone's life in danger by speeding. "Trevor got a speeding ticket?"

Her eye rolls hadn't changed much over the years, and neither had their birthday tradition. "So, about my birthday promise."

"Danny and I are not having any more kids," Steve said quickly.

She laughed. "Why would you think that's what I wanted?"

"Well, you've asked for me to kiss him and to marry him, so the next logical step...." Steve teased.

"I promise you, I am happy being your only child. "

He felt the blush rise up his neck as he ducked his head. "Couldn't have asked for a better one," he said quietly. "So what promise have you come to extract from me on a birthday as big as your eighteenth?"

She eyed Steve seriously. "I want you to take care of Danno while I'm away this summer."

"You're only going to England for a three month internship," Steve said. "It's not like you're flying to the moon for a year."

"Do you remember what he was like when I was gone with Mom and Stan for a month?"

Half the criminals on the island probably still remembered that, even after four years. "Um...yeah."

"Okay, now imagine three times that, and without parental supervision."

Steve imagined it for a second before he shuddered. "Oh."

"See? So please don't let him destroy the island before I come home. Or worse," she said, a look of horror crossing her face," please, for the love of God, don't let him come get me! If he shows up in London, I swear I will tell him in excruciatingly painful detail how you had to practice your proposal for over an hour with me before you took him out to ask him to marry you last year."

"Okay," Steve said. "I promise that I will not let him worry too much about you or go crazy or hop a plane to London for no good reason." He reserved the right to be right there on the plane with a good reason, but there was no need to mention that.

She smiled. "Thank you. And since it's my eighteenth birthday, I have a second promise to ask for."

"Getting greedy as you get old, aren't you?"

She smacked him lightly on the arm. "Are you going to take this seriously?"

"Don't I take all your birthday promises seriously?"

"Yes, you do." She put on her serious face. "I want you to promise to let him take care of you, too."

"He already does."

"When you let him."

"When don't I let him?"

Grace raised an eyebrow. "'It's only a cold, Danny, I don't need the doctor,' ring a bell?"

"It was a cold--"

"It was pneumonia, Steve."

"It wasn't that bad."

"They kept you in the hospital for two days."

He supposed he couldn't really argue that one, either. "That was one time."

"I can list others." Grace put her hand on his arm. "I'm not going to be here to hit the two of you over the head about things anymore," she said, making Steve wonder exactly how many of these same types of conversations she'd had with Danny over the years, and what promises she'd extracted from him. "I need you to listen to each other so that you'll both be here and in one piece when I come home."

He could tell she was serious about this, and he got it. She might, he conceded, even have a point. "I promise that I will listen, and that I will let him take care of me if it is warranted."

"Thank you." She gave him a smile before moving in for a hug, one he returned happily. "I love you," she said.

The words made him hold her a little tighter. "I love you, too."

\---  
END


End file.
